Liquid-purifier.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. G. TUOKPIELD. LIQUID PURIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1903.

CHARLES TUCKFIELD, OF EAST MOLESEY, ENGLAND.

' LIQUID-PURIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Appli fil d $eptember 23, 1903. Serial No. 174,353.

To all bu/win itJncr/y concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES TUCKFIELD, a subject of the King of England,and a resident of East Molesey, county of Surrey, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Purifiers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Th s invention relates to purifying liquids and separating mattertherefrom, its primary object being the construction of apparatuswhereby water can be softened and sterilized and the matter contained init concentrated at a small cost. The water so obtained is suitable foruse for domestic and general purposes or for boilers, &c., and theseparated mattersuch, for example, as metallic salts, mineral or organicmatter, &c. can be utilized in any convenient way.

According to this invention the liquid is heated under pressure to atemperature above boiling-point in a vessel which is kept filled with itand the separated matter is removed fromthe vessel during the operationof the apparatus-that is, while the temperature and pressure are attheir normal workingpoints.

The apparatus conveniently comprises a series of vessels whichintercommunicate and are filled with the li uid under pressure. In on ofthese vessels t e liquid is heated, say, by means of steam to atemperature above boilingpointto about 300 Fahrenheit, for examplebutthe degree of heat is regulated according to the nature of the liquidtreated that is, of the matter contained in and to be separated from it.This sterilizes the liquid and causes it to deposit some of the sol dmat ter. From the upper part of this heating vessel the liquid passes toa settling vessel and from thence to a third vessel, where it passes outthrough a coil or a series of tubes and gives up its heat to theincoming impure liquid. This impure li uid passes from the top of thethird heat-eXc anging vessel to the lower part of the heating vessel.

All the vessels are preferably well lagged, and it is only necessary tosupply fresh heat to the heating vessel to compensate for the losses byradiation, blowing off, &e.

The separated matter is removed during the working of the apparatus,say, by suitably-placed blow-off cocks and scum-cocks.

The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically one constructionof apparatus according to this invention.

A is the heating vessel or cylinder containing a coil of pipe B, throughwhich steam can be passed from a steam-generator C to heat the contentsof the vessel A.

From the upper portion of the'heating vessel A a pipe D leads into asettling vessel E, which in turn communicates, by means of a pipe F,with a chamber or drum G within a heat-exchanging vessel H. This chamberG is provided with a number of tubes G, through which the incomingimpure liquid forced in by any suitable meansfor exam ple, a pump K-atthe inlet H at the bottom of the vessel H can pass to the upper part ofthat vessel. A pipe J connects the upper portion of the vessel H withthe lower part of the heating vessel A. The vessel A is provided with ablow-off cock A, through which the solid matter may pass, and similarcocks E and H are provided for the vessels E and H, respectively. Thethree vessels are also furnished with scum-cocks, which are marked A, E,and H respectively.

The heating vessel A is provided with a thermometer ortemperature-indicator, as at A and this is preferably arranged so thatits movements control the valve B, regulating the admission of steamfrom the generator C to the pipe B. This may be convenientlyaccomplished electromagnetically. For instance, the movement of theindicator A may start and stop a small electric motor, which isindicated at B The details of this arrangement, however, form no part ofthe present invention and may be of any usual construction. ForeXample,the spindle of the indicator A may carry a switch-arm A andcause it to move over the contacts of a motor starting and stoppingswitch A in circuit with the motor B and battery B or other source ofcurrent by wires B Temperature-indicators are also provided for thevessels E and H at E and H and liquidgages and other fittings may beattached to the vessels, but are not shown in the draw The chamber G isprovided near its lower part with a loaded outletvalve G The operationof the apparatus is as follows: Normally all three vessels A, E, and Hare quite full of liquid, which is forced in impure at H and leavespurified at G Superheated steam being admitted into the pipe B, thecontents of the heating vessel A are raised to a temperature above theboilingpointsay in the case of water to about 300 Fahrenheit. The liquidexpands and is sterilized and deposits some of its solid matter in thevessel A. It then passes through the pipe D into the settling vessel E.Here the greater portion of the solid matter is deposited, and thepurified liquid passes through the pipe F and into the upper portion ofthe chamber f G. As it flows down round the tubes G to the outlet Gr thehot purified liquid gives up its heat to the incoming impure liquidwhich is forced up through the inside of the tubes G and out through thepipe J to the heating vessel A. The loaded outletvalve G and thepressure of the incoming fluid at the inlet H are so regulated that thevessels are kept quite full of the liquid, which passes through themcontinuously. The separated matter is removed by the blow-off cocks orscum-cocks, while the temperature and pressure are at their Workingvalues.

In order to reduce radiation losses to a minimum, all those vessels arepreferably thoroughly lagged; but this lagging is not illustrated in thedrawing, as it forms no part of the present invention, and owing to thefact that the purified liquid in the heat-exchanging vessel H parts withmost of its heat to the impure liquid it is found that a cornparativelysmall amount of steam need be used in the heating vessel A to compensatefor the loss by radiation, &c. Thus the process is a very economicalone, it being possible to purify large quantities of liquid and obtain aconsiderable amount of separated matter at a very small outlay.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus for purifying liquids and separating matter therefrom,the combination of a vessel adapted to contain liquid under pressure, asecond vessel, a conduit leading from the upper part of the first vesselto the second one, a third vessel, a chamber within such Vessel, aconduit leading from the upper part of the second vessel to the insideof said chamber, tubes passing through the vessels and pass through theoutletT'a"" steam-coil in the first vessel to raise its contents to atemperature above boiling-point,

and blow-off cocks and scum-cocks for withdrawing the separated liquidand semisolid matter during the operation of the apparatus substantiallyas set forth.

2. I11 apparatus for purifying liquids and separating matter therefrom,the combination of a vessel adapted to contain liquid under pressure, asecond vessel, a conduit leading from the upper part of the first vesselto the second one, a third vessel, a chamber within such vessel, aconduit leading from the upper part of the second vessel to the insideof said chamber, tubes passing through the chamber, another conduitleading from the upper part of the third vessel to the lower part of thefirst one, an inlet at the lower part of the third vessel, apressure-cock serving as an outlet to the chamber, means for forcinliquid through the inlet and causing it to fil the vessels and passthrough the outlet, a steam-coil in the first vessel to raise itscontents to a temperature above boiling-point, electrically-operatingmeans for automatically controlling the steam-supply to said coil, andblow-off cocks and scum-cocks for Withdrawing the separated liquid andsemisolid matter during the operation of theapparatus substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES TUCKFIELD.

Witnesses:

HAROLD WADE, HARRY B. I-IODGE.

